Automobile door locking mechanism



Nov. 12, 1940. E. D. DALL 2,221,181

AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 15, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 12, 1940. E. D. DALL 2,221,181

AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 15, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zowmeo .D. .5444.

Nov. 12, 1940. E. D. DALL AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM -Filed Nov. 15, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 '1', 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA 17E .Z Fan/ v2 0 D. 2441.. W

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Nav. 12, 1940. E. D. DALL AUTOMOBILE noon LOCKING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 15, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 .Z'onmeo .D. flnuu Patented Nov. 12, 1940 AUTOMOBILE DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM Edward D. Dali, North Chicago, IIL, assignor to Walter F. Wright, Cleveland, Ohio Application November 15, 1937, Serial No. 174,545

9 Claims.

My invention relates to automobile door looking mechanism and covers improved construction and arrangement of the locks of the various doors of an automobile, improved interconnection of the locks, and improved control of the locks by a master lock on one of the doors.

An important object of the invention is to utilize rotary latching elements, and improved structure for control of such latching elements either by the outside handles or the inside handles of the doors.

A further object is to provide means in the master lock normally operable by forward rotation of the master lock door handle to effect unlatching of the door, together with separate means, preferably operable by a key, to free the handle from the latching mechanism to prevent unlatching of the door by rotation of the handle, and locking means, operable by the handle when freed from the latching mechanism, to be actuated by forward rotation of the handle to effect locking of the other doors.

A further object is to provide lock structure with which either the ordinary type of handle 25 may be used or the flush type of handle may be used.

, The above enumerated and other features of the invention are fully described in the following specification in connection with the drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is the outer side elevation of the master lock, and the inside handle mechanism associated therewith;

Figure 2 is an outside elevation of one of the remote locks for cooperation with and control by the master lock;

Figure 3 is a. top view of the inside handle mechanism for the master lock door;

Figure 4 is a section on plane IV-IV Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a front end view of the master lock;

Figure 6 is a section on plane VI--VI Figure 1;

Figure '7 is a plan view of a striker plate;

Figure 8 is a rear view of the striker plate partly broken away;

Figure 9 is a front elevation of the stile plate between the master lock door and the adjacent door at one side of an automobile;

Figure 10 is a front elevation of the stile plate between the doors on the oppoosite side of the automobile;

Figure 11 is an enlarged section on plane XI- XI Figure 9;

Figure 12 is a side elevation of cable structure for connecting the stile plate structures; and,

Figure 13 is a top view, partly in section; of a lock with a flush type handle.

The master lock shown on .Figure 1 comprises a supporting plate I having the outer flange 2 thereon. Joumalled on the plate I adjacent to 8 the flange 2 is a rollback member 3 whose arm 4 extends upwardly and normally in engagement with the flange 2, the rollback member being mounted on a shaft 5 which at its outer end carries the outside door handle (not shown) but 10 which would extend toward the right, Figure 1, so that swing of the handle in a vertical plane will turn the rollback member. A transmission or retractor element in the form of a bar or link 6 has a pin 1 extending from its outer end and 15 through a horizontally extending guide slot 8 in the plate I, a projectipn 9 from the plate I forming a support rest for the bar when in its normal position in which it extends substantially horizontally inwardly. A strut II) engages at its I outer end in the abutment notch I I in the bar 6, the outer end of the strut being engaged by a spring I2 so that the bar 6 is normally yieldably held shifted outwardly against the inner side of the rollback arm 4 and so that turning of the shaft 5 by a downward swing of its handle will turn the rollback member in clockwise direction for inward shift of the bar 6.

Near the upper end of the plate I, an angle shaped lever I3 is pivoted on the plate as by means of a pin or stud I4. The outwardly extending leg I5 of the lever has connection with rotary latching mechanism which will be described in detail later. The depending leg I6 of the lever has the outwardly extending end I1 which is in alignment with the transmission bar 6 when this bar is in its normal position.

An auxiliary plate I8 is set forwardly a distance on the plate I and is secured to the plate I and to the flange 2. The lower end of this aux- 4 iliary plate extends a distance below the main plate I a hub I9 being journaled in the extension and supports a crank or cam arm 20 which engages against the rear side of the plate extension, the hub having a. square opening 2| for re- 'ceiving a stem 2| which at its outer end may support a look (not shown), preferably of the cylinder type and operable by a key from the outside of the door for turning of the crank or cam arm 20, this arm normally extending downwardly. A link 22 is pivoted to the end of the arm 20 and extends upwardly behind the main plate I and at its upper end has the forward deflection 23 extending through the guide slot 24 in the plate I. and across which slot the transmission or retractor bar 6 extends. When the crank arm is in its down position, the link end 23 will be at the bottom of the slot away from the bar 6, but when the crank arm 28 is turned in counterclockwise direction, the link 22 will be raised for engagement of its end 23 with the bar 6 to swing this bar upwardly with its end out of register with the end ll of the latch mechanism controlling lever l3 so that, when the door handle is swung for turning of the rollback 3 while the bar 6 is swung upwardly, the bar cannot engage with the end ll of the lever l3 and the door cannot be unlatched. In other words the door handle is freed from the latching mechanism and swing of the door handle cannot unlatch the door. When the crank arm 20 is swung down to its normal position, the link 22 will be retracted and the spring |2 may function to return the transmission bar 6 to its normal position in register with the lever end so that the door may then be unlatched by swing of the door handle.

The inward shifting movement of the bar 6 by the rollback while the bar is held out of range of the latching mechanism for the door, is utilized for actuating a train of cooperating elements for setting the locks on the other doors against unlatching by their respective outside handles. Slidable horizontally on the lower part of the frame plate I is the plate 25 from whose lower outer corner extends the setting bar or finger 26 and engages in the passageway 21 provided in the flange 2 of the lock frame. The engagement of the bar in the passage guides the plate 25, and the plate is further guided by a stud 28 extending forwardly from the supporting plate I through the slot 29 in the plate 25.

Pivoted at its upper end in front of the plate 25 on the stud 28, is a latching lever 30 whose lower end 3| is below the hub l9 and in the path of the end of the crank or cam arm 20 on-the hub. At its upper edge the plate 25 has a forward deflection 32 forming an abutment for the outer edge 33 of the lever 25. A spring-34 is coiled around the stud 28 and has one leg engaging the abutment 35 on the plate 25 and its other leg abutting the extension 36 on the latching lever 30, the spring tending to shift the plate 25 inwardly and to swing the latching plate 30 upwardly. Normally, when the crank or cam arm 20 of the key operable mechanism is in its downward extending position, it holds the latching lever 30 down with its upper edge below the abutment 32 on the plate 25, the plate 25 with its bar 26 being normally in inner position and. held in such position by the spring 34. Upon turning of the key for swing of the cam or crank arm in counterclockwise direction, the crank arm releases the lever 30 for upward swing by the spring 34 and with its upper edge against the abutment 32 on the plate 25. Further rotation of the crank or cam lever 20 will then raise the link 22 for swing of the transmitter or retractor bar 6 to locking position as has already been explained.

A stud 31 extending forwardly from the supporting plate I at a point between the locking plate 25 and the bar 6 pivots a lever 38 whose upper portion is deflected forwardly to be in front of the end ll of the lever I3 and terminates in an abutment 39 at its upper end which will be in the path of the transmitter bar 6 when it has been raised by the link 22 so that when the lock handle is turned the bar 6 will engage with the abutment to rotate the lever 38 in clockwise direction, the lower end 40 of the lever then abutting the inner end of the plate 25 so that the plate 25 will be shifted outwardly to shift the setting bar 26 outwardly through the passageway 21. This outward movement of the setting bar or finger 26 will, through interconnecting means to be described later, effect setting in the locks on remote doors to prevent unlatching of said doors by their respective handles.

When the plate 25 is'shifted outwardly by the lever 38, the abutment 32 is moved to a position in front of the outer end 33 of the latching lever 30 and the lever is then swung upwardly by the spring 34 to position its front end behind the abutment 32 so as to latch the plate 25 and the setting bar 26 in the outer or projected position for maintaining locking of the remote doors.

When the key is turned for swing of the crank or cam arm 20 back to its normal position, the link 22 will first be moved downwardly to release the transmitter bar 6 for return thereof to normal position by the spring l2, and then the latch lever 39 will be swung back to normal for withdrawal of its end 33 from behind the lug 32 so that the spring 34 may then shift back the plate 25 and the setting bar 26 to release the locks on the remote doors from locked condition so that these doors may then be unlatched by swing of their respective handles. Thus, by turning of the cam arm 20 back to normal position, the master lock is first unlocked and then, if it is desired to also unlock the remote doors, the crank arm 20 is fully returned to its normal position for unlatching of the setting plate 25 and the bar 26.

The inside handle mechanism associated with the master lock is shown on Figures 1, 3 and 4. The mechanism comprises a supporting plate 4| secured on the door body. A bearing strap 42 is secured against the front part of the plate 4|, and the plate and strap journal the shank or shaft 43 of the inside door handle 44. A triangular shaped lever plate 45 is secured to the shaft 43 between the plate and the strap. At its upper end the lever plate has the stud 46 extending forwardly therefrom and at its apex end the lever plate has the stud 41 extending forwardly therefrom. The stud 41 extends through a longitudinally extending slot 48 in the link bar 49 which at its outer end is pivoted by a pin 50 to the lower end of the leg I6 of the latch mechanism controlling lever |3 in the master look. The stud 46 extends through the longitudinally extending slot in the link bar 52 which at its outer end is pivoted by a pin 53 to the arm 54 at the upper end of the lever plate 38 and inwardly of the lever plate abutment 39.

Above the lever plate 45 a pawl 55 is pivoted on a stud 56 extending forwardly from the plate 4|, the pawl having a tooth 51 for normally engaging in the notch 58 in the arcuate upper edge of the lever plate 45 for holding the inside handle in its normal position, the lever plate having a hump or tooth 59 to the left of the notch behind which the pawl tooth engages when the lever plate has been swung in clockwise direction. A spring 60 extending between the free end of the pawl and an abutment 6| secured to the supporting plate 4| tends to hold the pawl tooth against the lever plate 45.

When the handle 44 is swung down for counterclockwise rotation of the lever plate 45, the stud 41 will pull the link bar 49 for swing of the lever l3 in the master lock and unlatching of the door, the stud 46 during such movement traveling through the slot 5| in the link bar 52 without moving this bar. The door will thus be unlatched by downward swing of the handle 44.

When the handle 44 is swung upwardly for clockwise rotation of the lever plate 45, the stud 46 will pull the link 52 for clockwise rotation of the lever 38 in the master lock so that the setting plate 25 and the setting bar 26 thereon will be shifted outwardly. At the same time, an arm 62 on the lever 38 will engage with and swing the transmitting bar 6 upwardly to its locking position so that both the master lock door and the other doors will be locked against unlatching by their outside handles. Upon clockwise rotation of the lever plate 45, the pawl tooth 51 will be held behind the plate tooth 59 so that the locking condition will be maintained until the handle 44 is swung downwardly to its normal position. During-clockwise rotation of the lever plate 45, the stud 41 travels along the slot 48 in the link bar 69 so that this bar will not be moved.

Figures 5 and 6 show the structure and arrangement of the latching mechanism for the master lock of Figure 1. The rotary latch member is in the form of a hub 63 having latch arms or teeth 64 extending substantially tangentially therefrom, four of said teeth being shown. A circular plate 65 at one side of the hub and teeth engages within a circular opening 66 in the outer wall or flange 2 of the lock supporting structure. A semi-cylindrical shell or cap 61 covers the latch member and is secured to the wall 2, the end wall of the cap forming a bearing for one end of a shaft 68 on which the latch member is secured. Spaced inwardly from and secured to and extending from the wall 2 is the inner wall 69 which forms a bearing for the inner end of the shaft 68. Between the walls 2 and 69 is the detent member 18 having substantially tangentially extending teeth 'll. 10 may be a separate member secured to the shaft 69 or may be integral with the latch member 63 and the circular plate 65.

On the outside of the wall 2 is a guide lug l2 situated above the latching member to leave a guideway 13, the lug being secured in place by a rivet l4 and being further secured as by welding to the wall 2, the rivet 14 extending inwardly to the inner wall 69 and serving to journal the hub 15 of the pawl lever 16 terminating in a shoe 'I'I for cooperating with the detent teeth on the detent member 18. An arm I8 extends laterally from the pawl hub 15 into a slot 19 and between abutmentlugs 80 at the outer end of the lever l3, which lever as before explained is swung in counterclockwise direction (Figure 1) by operationof either the outside or the inside handle of the master look. A spring 8| supported on the wall 69 bears against the pawl lever 16 to normally hold it against the detent member 18 to resist rotation thereof and thereby resist rotation of the latch member 63. The movement of the lever i3 is limited by the length of the slot 82 through which the abutment stud 83 extends from the plate I, the spring 8| (Figure 6) tending to hold the pawl lever 16 in its normal position to lock the latch element 63 against counterclockwise rotation, the arm 18 on the pawl hub then holding the lever l3 in its normal position with the lower end of the lever slot 82 abutting the stud 83.

Figures 7 and 8 show the striker plate 84 which cooperates with the latching member 63. The plate 84 carries the striker lug 85 which may be integral with the plate and deflected therefrom when the plate is of sheet metal. The striker plates are fastened to the stiles or pillars between doors, and Figure 8 shows the striker plate The detent member for the master door lock (Fig. 5) located with its 'striker lug in position to be received within the tooth 64 of the latch member 63 encounters the striker lug 85 and the latch member is rotated clockwise against the resistance of the spring pressed pawl lever which engages the detent element 10. When the door is fully closed, the latch member and detent member will have been rotated 90 with the pawl lever then in engagement with the next detent tooth and with the next latch member tooth behind the peak of the striker lug,- the striker lug being then in position between the vertical latch tooth and the guide lug 12 as shown by dotted lines, Figure 5, and as the pawl lever 16 will prevent counterclockwise rotation of the detent element ID, the latch element 63 is locked against counterclockwise rotation so that the door cannot be opened until the latch element is released. Such release is effected by counterclockwise rotation of the lever l 3 in the lock, such movement swinging the pawl lever 16 inwardly away from the detent element 10 to release the latch element 63 will be released for rotation so that the door may be swung open.

A safety catch 88 is provided and pivoted at the outer end of the strikerlug, this safety catch wiping past the vertical tooth of the latching element 63 when the door is moved toward closed position, and if the door is not fully closed the safety catch will engage behind the tooth to prevent the door from swinging open. Upon complete closing of the door. the latch element tooth will cooperate with the striker lug for fully latching of the door as has been just explained above.

The construction and arrangement of the locks for the remote doors are shown on Figure 2. Like the master lock, each remote lock has the main supporting wall I with the outer flange 2, the

latching controlling lever I3 with its outwardly and downwardly extending legs l5 and I6 respectively, and the rotary latching element 63 andits cooperating and controlling mechanism within the housing 69.

Located between the wall I and a cover plate 81 is the rollback member 88 having the upwardly extending arm 89 for engaging the transmission or retractor bar 90 mounted on a pin 9i guided in the slot 92 in the wall I, the retractor bar normally resting on its supporting ledge 93 in register with the outwardly extending lower end ll of the lever i3 so that when the handle (not shown) on the shaft 94 of the rollback is swung down, the corresponding outward shift of the retractor bar 90 will rotate the lever I3 for release of the latching mechanism so that the door may be opened.

At the lower part of the lock is the setting plate 95 having the setting bar or finger 96 projecting therefrom through the wall 2 and a distance outwardly from the wall. The plate is guided by the bar 96 and also by a stud 91 extending through the guide slot 98 in the plate,

a spring 99 anchored to the stud 91 tending to shift the plate 95 outwardly for projection of the outer end of the setting bar 96 beyond the wall 2, the outward shift of the plate being limited bv the engagement of the inner end of the slot 98 with the stud 91.

A setting lever I08 is pivoted at its outer end by a pin l0| extending between the wall I and the cover plate 81, this lever being in front of the setting plate 95. In its lower edge and at the outer end thereof, the lever has the notch I02 to leave a contact arm or abutment I03 en gageable by the abutment I04 extending forwardly from the upper edge of the setting plate 95. Rearwardly of the notch I02 the lower edge of the lever I00 presents a cam surface I05 with which the abutment I04 engages when the setting plate 95 is shifted inwardly, so that the lever I00 will then be swung upwardly. At its upper edge, adjacent to the end of the retractor bar 90, the lever I00 is deflected rearwardly to provide a lip I06 for engaging with the lower edge of the retractor bar so that the bar will be swung upwardly when the lever I00 is swung upwardly by engagement of the abutment I04 of the plate 95 with the cam surface I05 on the lever, the retractor bar when swung upwardly being out of range of the end I1 of the latching controlling lever I3 so that this lever cannot be rotated when the latch bar is shifted inwardly with the swing of the door handle, so that the door will remain latched in closed position.

The inside handle mechanism for the remote lock is not shown but such mechanism may be of the ordinary type comprising a lever on the inside handle shaft and with the lever connected by a link bar I01 with the door lock structure. As shown in Figure 2 the link has the slot I00 receiving the stud I09 at the inner end of a bar III! extending into the door lock and engaging at its end with the pin 9| which pivots the retractor bar so that, when the lock is in its normal position and the bar H0 is pulled inwardly by the inside handle, the latch bar 90 will be shifted for engagement with the lever I3 and rotation of the lever to release the rotary latch member 63 so that the door may be swung open. The bar H0 is guided by a stud III engaging in the slot I I2 in the bar.

The lever I00 has suflicient clearance engagement on the pin IOI so that the lever may swing forwardly a distance sufilcient to withdraw its abutment lip I06 from the retractor bar 90 when the lever is held in its upward position while the plate is in its inner position. A spring II3 tends to hold the lever I00 in its rear or normal position. At its inner end, the lever I00 has the upstanding arm II4 which, when the lever is in its up position, will be in the path of a cam projection II 5 0n the end I1 01! the lever I3, so that when the lever I3 is swung in clockwise direction the lever I00 will be swung forwardly for release of the retractor bar 90 so that the spring I2 may restore the retractor bar to its normal position against the rest projection 93. The purpose of this arrangement will be referred to more in detail later.

- The mechanism for connecting the master lock with the remote door locks is shown on Figures 9 to 12. The master lock is usually on the right front door of an automobile and Figure 9 shows the transmission mechanism on the stile or post between the master lock door and the right rear door, while Figure 10 shows the transmission mechanism in the stile or post between the front and rear doors on the left side of the automobile.

The transmission mechanism for the master lock comprises a supporting plate A having forwardly extending upper and lower supporting brackets IIS on one side and corresponding brackets H1 at the opposite side. A pin II8 extending between the front ends of the brackets I I6 hinges a striker lever H9, and the brackets II1 hinge a pin I20 for the striker lever I2I. Pivoted on the plate A by a pin I22 adjacent to the lower bracket H1 is a T-shaped lever I23 pivoted at its outer end by a pin I24 to the adjacent end of a transmisison bar- I25. At its other end, the bar I25 is pivoted by ,a pin I26 to the lower end of the lever I21 pivoted at I28 to the plate A at a point adjacent to the upper bracket I I8. The lower end of the lever I23 is pivoted to the lower end of a rod I29 extending upwardly to receive a cable I30. Adjacent to the ends of the transmission bar I25, the levers I23 and I21 have arcuate abutments or flanges I3I and I32 against which the rear ends of the striker levers H9 and I2I engage. As shown by Figures 9 and 11, the arrangement on the transmission structure between the master lock door and the adjacent side door is such that the striker lever H9 is in its inner position and the lever I2I is in its outer position, the lever I2I being in the path of the setting bar 26 of the master lock and the lever II9 being in front of the end of the projected setting bar 96 of the adjacent door lock when the doors are in closed position and the latch mechanisms free to be operated by the respective outside handles for the doors. When the outside handle on the master lock is swung down for engagement of the retractor bar 6 with the lever 38 for o tward shift of the setting plate 25 and the setting bar 26, the bar engages and swings the striker lever I2I inwardly and the lever I23 is swung downwardly and this movement is communicated through the transmission bar I25 to the lever I21 which is also swung downwardly to engage with and swing out the striker lever II9. this resulting in inward shift of the setting bar 96 of the rear side door and upward swing of the setting lever I00 in the lock of said door for upward swing of the retractor bar 90 so that the latch mechanism on the door cannot be released by operation of the outside handle. At the same time, the swing of the lever I23 is communicated to the rod I29 for downward shift thereof and pull on the cable I30. This cable passes through guide tubing I33, which tubing extends along the top of the automobile to the opposite side thereof for connection of the other end of the cable with a rod I34 guided on the plate B as by a pin I35. At its lower end the rod I34 engages levers I36 and I31, the levers being of T-shape and pivoted at their ends adjacent to the lower bracket structures H8 and H1 respectively on the plate B. At their upper ends, these levers are behind the rear ends of the striker levers I38 and I39 respectively, these levers being like those in Figures 9 and 11 but the levers being normaly in their inner position, the projecting ends of the setting bar 98 of the adjacent doors on the left side of the car being in front of the levers as shown by dotted lines, Figure 10. When the cable is pulled and the rod I34 is raised, the levers I36 and I31 will be swung to engage with and swing the striker levers outwardly for inward shift of the setting bars 98 on the locks of the adjacent doors so that the retractor bars in such locks will be raised to prevent actuation of the latching mechanism by the outside handles of said doors. When the setting bar 23 of the master lock is withdrawn, the released setting bars 98 in the locks of the doors will be shifted outwardly by the springs 99, and the pressure of the bars 98 against the striker levers I38 and I39 on the plate B will swing the levers I39 and I31 down to pull on the cable I30 so that the rod I29 on the plate A will be raised to its normal position for swing -of the levers I22 and I21 and swing of the striker levers H9 and I2I back to the normal position shown in-Figures 9 and 11.

If the remote locks are arranged as shown in Figure 2 where the inside handle actuated bar H0 is connected with the retractor bar' 90, and the retractor bar is. swung upwardly by inward shift of the setting bar 96, the inside handles are also unable to effect unlatching of the doors.

Instead of the ordinary type of outside handles for the doors, the flush type of handlecould be used as shown in Figure 13. The lock structure is substantially the same as that for the ordinary type handle except that the shaft 5 for the rollback 3 has its outer end cut off and provided with a lever I4I engageable by the cam arm I42 mounted on the frame I43 of the flush type handle, the handle I44 being pivoted on the pin I45 which also supports the cam lever I42, latch means (not shown) normally holding the handle within the recess I46 of the frame I43, pushbutton means I41 being provided for swinging the handle a distance forwardly out of the recess so that it may be grasped and swung out further for swing of the cam lever I42 into engagement with the arm I4I for rotation of the shaft 5 and the rollback 3.

Briefly summarizing the operation, the master lock and the other door locks are normally in unlocking position as shown by Figures 1 and 2. If it is desiredto lock all of the doors from the outside of the automobii the key is inserted in the lock and turned for counterclockwise rotation of I the crank or cam arm 20. During the fore part of the movement of this crank arm, the latch plate 30 is released for operation, and during the last part of the travel of the crank arm, link 22 is raised to swing the retractor bar 6 upwardly away from-the latching controlling lever I3 into a position for cooperation with the lever 38. The master lock door is now locked against unlatching by rotation of the rollback by the outside handle, but rotation of the handle and rollback will now result in swing of the lever 38 and outward shift of the setting plate 25 and the setting bar 26, the freed latching plate 30 then engaging behind the setting plate abutment 32 to hold the setting bar 26 out. The outward shift of the setting bar 26 is communicated through the stile mechanisms to the setting bars 96 in the locks on the other doors and in such locks the levers I00 .are swung upwardly for swing of the retractor bars away from the latching controlling levers I3 so that the doors cannot be unlatched by swing of the door outside handles.

To unlock the system, the key of the master lock is turned for clockwise rotation of the cam arm 20 and during the forepart of this movement the link 22 is drawn down to release the retractor bar 6 so that the master lock will be unlocked and then during final movement of the cam arm the latching plate 30 will be withdrawn from the setting plate 25 so that the spring 34 may shift the setting plate and the setting bar 26 back to'their inner position. Such inward shift of the setting bar 26 of the master lock away from the transmission mechanism in the stiles will release the setting bars 96 of the locks on the other doors and the springs 99 on such doors will shift the setting plates outwardly for downward swing of the levers I00 and release of the retractor bars for return to normal position so that such doors may then be unlatched by swing of the outside handles.

When the doors are all closed and latched, and it is desired to open the master lock door from may then "be swung open.

within the car, the inside handle on the door is swung down for rotation of the cam plate 45 to pull the link bar 49 for swing of the lever I3 to release the latch mechanism so that the door To look the system 8 from the inside. the inside handle of the master lock door is swung upwardly for rotation of the lever plate 45 for pull of the link bar 52 and swing of the lever 38 in the master lock, the arm 62 of the lever 38: then raising the retractor bar 6 to its-locking sition and at the same time causing the settin plate 25 and the setting bar 26 to be shifted outwardly for inward shift of the setting bars 96 at the locks of the other doors for raising of the retractor bars of such locks to thereby lock such doors against unlatching by their outside handles. The setting of the inside handle of the master lock door for locking of all of the doors will be yieldably maintained by the spring pressed pawl 56 engaging with its tooth 5'I behind the detent tooth 59 on the lever plate 45. To unlock the doors, the inside handle 44 is swung downwardly back to its normal position for release of the lever plate 45 from the pawl 55 whereupon the lever 38 is restored to normal position for release of the tractor bar 6 of the master lock and release of the setting bar 26 so that the springs in the locks of the other doors may restore the settings to normal position for release of the retractor bars to door unlatching position..

Referring to Figure 2, when the bars I I0 at the locks of the doors remote from the master lock door are free of the latch mechanism controlling levers l3, then when all the doors are 35 locked from the master lock, the raised retractor bars 98 atthe locks of the remote doors will prevent unlatching of such doors by their inside handles. This arrangement would be used where it is desirable to prevent passengers from leaving the car.

Means are provided for adjusting the length of the cable I30. As shown by Figure 9, the rod I29 terminates in a sleeve I48. The sleeve is threaded for receiving a threaded tube I50 through which the end of the cable passes to be secured at its end to an abutment ball or block I5I, a lock nut I49 holding the tube in adjusted position. Upon turning of the threaded sleeve I50 to exert pressure against the block I5I, the cable will be 50 shortened and if the threaded tube is turned in the opposite direction the cable will be slackened or lengthened. The cable is always pulled and never pushed.

It is evident that the door handle actuating 55 mechanism shown may be associated with the ordinary type of longitudinally shiftable latch bolt instead of the rotary type of latch member shown.

I have shown practical and eflicient embodiments of the various features of my invention but I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction, arrangement and operation shown and described as changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim as follows:

1. The combination with the doors of an auto mobile, of a master lock on one of said doors, locks on the other doors, latch means for each of said doors for holding it closedand an outside handle for each door, means at each of said other door locks for normally enabling the handle to operate the latch means for unlatching of the door, a transmission element in the master 75 lock normally in position for actuation of the latching means for unlatching of the door upon rotation of the lock handle, locking means operable by a key for moving said transmission element into another position for preventing unlatching of the door by the handle and whereby said master lock door will be locked, locking controlling mechanism in said master lock operable upon turning of said handle when said transmission element is in its other position, and means for transmitting the movement of said locking controlling mechanism to said remote door locks for rendering the handles of said other door locks incapable of unlatching said doors.

2. In automobile door locking mechanism, a lock on one of the doors, latch mechanism on said lock for holding the door closed, a handle for the door, a transmission element operablein either of two positions by the rotation of said handle, said transmission element in one position serving to transmit rotation of the handle to the latching mechanism for unlatching of said door,

means independent ofsaid handle for setting said transmission element to its other position in which rotation of the handle is ineffective to unlatch the latching mechanism, locking controlling mechanism actuated when said handle operates said transmission element while in its other position, lock and latch mechanisms for the other doors, and means operated by the actuated controlling mechanism to prevent unlatching of said other doors.

3. In automobile door locking mechanism, a lock on one of the doors, latch mechanism and locking controlling mechanism on said lock, a handle for the door, a transmission element adapted to be set in either one of two positions, means for setting said. transmission element, said transmission element when in one set position transmitting rotation of the handle to the latching mechanism for unlatching of the door and when in its other set position being released from said latching mechanism and effective to transmit the rotation of the handle to said locking controlling mechanism for actuation of said locking controlling mechanism.

4. In automobile door locking mechanism, a lock on one of said doors, latching mechanism on said lock for holding the door in closed position, locking controlling mechanism on said look, a handle for the door, a link normally in position to transmit rotation of the handle to the latching mechanism for unlatching of the door, means for moving said link to another position in which it is incapable of transmitting motion from the handle to the latching mechanism, said link when actuated by said handle in its other position causing operation of said locking controlling mechanism.

5. In automobile door locking mechanism, a lock on one of said doors, latching mechanism on said lock for holding the door in closed position, locking controlling mechanism on said lock, a handle for the door, a link normally in position to transmit rotation of the handle to the latching mechanism for unlatching of the door,

means for moving said link to another position in which it is incapable of transmitting motion from the handle to the latching mechanism, said link when actuated by said handle in its other position causing operation of said locking controlling mechanism, and means for transmitting the operation of said locking mechanism to looks on remote doors for locking of said doors.

6. In automobile door locking mechanism, a lock on one of the doors, said lock havinglatching mechanism for holding the door closed, a handle for said door and a rollback operable thereby, a transmission link shiftable by said rollback, said link being normally in position for actuation by said rollback for operation of said latching mechanism to unlatch the door, means for moving said link into another position in which its movement by said rollback cannot actuate the latching mechanism, and locking controlling mechanism operated by said transmission link when it is moved by said rollback while in said other position.

7. In automobile door; locking mechanism, a master lock on one of the doors, locks on the other doors, latching mechanism for each of said doors, an outside handle for each of the doors, means in each lock normally effective to unlatch the latching mechanism upon swing of the respective outside handle, means at the master lock operable independently of the respective outside handle for locking said lock against unlatching, and means operable while .said master lock is locked against unlatching for locking the other door locks against unlatching when the outside handle of the master lock is turned.

8. In automobile door locking mechanism, a master lock on one of the doors, locks on the other doors, latching mechanism for each of said doors, an outside handle for each of the doors normally in connection with the latching means for unlatching thereof, a first means at the master lock for freeing the outside handle of said look from the latching mechanism whereby operation of the handle will be ineffective to cause unlatching, and a second means operable by the freed handle of the master lock for freeing the handles of the other doors from the latching mechanisms.

9. In automobile door locking mechanism, a master lock for one of the doors, locks for the other doors, latching mechanism for each of said doors, an outside handle for each of the doors normally in connection with the latching mechanism for unlatching thereof for opening of the doors, keyoperable means at the master lock for first freeing the outside handle of said lock from the latching mechanism whereby movement of said handle in unlatching direction will be ineffective to cause unlatching, and means operable by rotation of the master lock handle in unlatching direction after freeing thereof from the latching mechanism for effecting freeing of the handles of the other doors from their latching mechanism.

EDWARD n. IDALL. 

